In case you didn't already know that Ron Swanson is the true embodiment of America, here are the reasons why this government employee is the manliest American man around.

1. He is the ultimate self-made man.

Ron Swanson is a country farm boy sent to work at a sheet-metal factory at age nine. He learned discipline, self-reliance, toughness and character — all of the hallmarks of a great American. All this success accumulates to his ultimate triumph: Head of the Department of Parks and Recreation of Pawnee, Indiana, where he desperately attempts to topple municipal government from the inside out to return power to the citizens of the country he loves most.

2. He considers the education of America's youth a crucial endeavor.

Whether it’s teaching the Pawnee Rangers extreme methods of wilderness survival or explaining the basics of his libertarian ideals to a fourth-grader and giving her a land mine, Ron Swanson makes sure that the next generation of Americans grows up live the American Dream to the fullest.

3. The only acceptable form of liquor is good, old American whiskey.

When Ron Swanson sits down for a drink, he doesn’t have time for anything else than top-shelf American spirits. “Clear alcohol is for rich women on diets.”

4. He loves red meat more than life itself.

His dedication to this finest aspect of American cuisine is remarkable. Just look at his scrapbook of every steak he’s ever eaten at Charles Mulligan’s Steakhouse in Indianapolis.

5. He knows what’s most important: his friends and his family.

Ron'S unwavering loyalty to his wife, Diane, his two step-daughters and his baby son is awe-inspiring. And deep down he would do anything for the misfits of the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation, especially his best friend Leslie Knope.